Social worker’s pioneering work on gay, lesbian and transgender health issues pays off

Caitlin Ryan has spent her career researching and trying to improve the understanding of physical and mental health issues for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people. She saw the need early in life, when she came out as a lesbian and her parents had no clue how to respond.

“I realized … there had to be a better way,” Ryan said.

The 65-year-old San Francisco social worker, who recently started and operates the Family Acceptance Project, a San Francisco State University program dedicated to helping parents adjust when their children identify as gay or lesbian, was honored this week by the American Psychiatric Association. To read about Ryan’s life, go here.